Fated Encounter
by Peony-flower
Summary: Fate works in funny ways, Flynn discovers this first hand on that dark,starless night. A role-reversal one-set!


**I had written this for a creative writing class of mine not too long ago and I thought, hey why not publish. I absolutely adored Tangled, that's why when this prompt popped into my mind, I had to write it down immediately. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did!**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**

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The chilly December air seeped in the through the cracks of the frost covered window. Intricately crafted snowflakes clung to the glass as if peeking inside, curious at the hearty laugher erupting from the warmly lit room. A mighty gust of wind slammed against the window, causing the glass to shake and the snowflakes to gently fall from their perfect viewing positions. The two people sitting in the room paid no mind to the grumpy winter wind. The wind too wanted to join their merriment but sadly the stone walls and window prevent its entry. Instead, the winter wind watched from afar, eagerly listening to the tales exchanged between the brunette man, clad in slacks and a loose fitting shirt, and the platinum blond woman who wore a sparklingly cerulean dress.

The female leaned forward, hovering her hands closer to the warmth of the fire. She adjusted herself in the large arm chair until perfectly comfortable.

"So," she began in a clear voice, "you never did tell me the story of how you and your fated princess actually met."

The male turned his attention away from the fire and faced the platinum blond. He offered her a smile. " Really now? And I thought it was a famous tale known all throughout the kingdom."

She shook her head and rolled her icy blue eyes at him, " Being a prince does not entitle you to be snarky" she said with a touch of sarcasm in her voice.

The male took no offense to her comment. He agreed to being the opposite of an ideal prince. He was spontaneous and adventurous, his mind always wandered to thoughts of seeing the world. It was a characteristic the brunette boasted with pride. Being of royal descent did not automatically condemn him to being snobbish and uptight.

" I know, I know." He said with a chuckle, " you're not from this kingdom. I probably should tell you the story then, huh?"

" Very much so. After all, I would like to know how my baby cousin Flynn met his one true love." She said.

Flynn began rubbing his chin as if stroking a none-existent beard. " Hmmm, let me think for a second."

The platinum blond raised her brow, giving him an unamused looked. Flynn raised his arms in defeat; this battle would end in his lost. "Don't worry, I remember. She would kill me if I ever forgot the first time we met, it was very" he paused for a second, thinking of the correct term to describe their encounter, "unique."

"Well, don't let me stop you, Flynn. Go on," she gestured, " we have all the time in the world"

He reclined in his chair, raising out his arms in a stretch, " It's a long story so get comfortable, we'll be here for a bit. "

Her mouth curved into a smirk, " Get on with it, Flynn."

"Fine, fine." He said, and with a far off look in his eyes began, " It was a stark and starless night….."

" If I remember correctly, it was about 1 am in the dead of night and I had been plagued by an awful insomnia. The usually bustling castle fell asleep long ago, like I should have and yet I still laid awake in the silence of the night. I considered it an odd silence, as if the night was waiting for something, what I did not know. And I also waited. I waited for sleep to befall me but in that moment the overly large room of mine suddenly became daunting and lonely. After tossing and turning in my bed for the last hour, and then spending the next half hour outlining the fresco, magnificently painted, on my ceiling, I gave up all attempts to attain sleep. I hoisted myself to a sitting position, taking in the darkness of the moonless night. With nothing in particular I wanted to do nor could do at that ungodly hour, I decided to dress simply and patrol the halls, as any good prince should do on a normal basis.

In addition to my insomnia, I had a surge of wander lust flowing through my veins. I am not sure myself what overcame me that night, but now that I reflect back upon the event, I would call it fate.

As I wandered aimlessly through the dark hallways with my dwindling candle, I caught a glimpse of gold among the black shadows of the pillars. Rubbing any remnants of drowsiness from my eyes, I squinted into the empty hallway, desperately trying to decide if my eyes were deceiving me or whether I truly did see a golden light in this bleak darkness. For those few seconds silence hung heavily in the air. I thought that it was my mind playing tricks with me. It was scolding me for not allowing it to properly rest. Then I saw it again. This time it was much clearer. I still describe it as the sun that lit up the darkness, and me being the dutiful prince I am, decided to chase after this ray of sunshine, just in case it was a possible threat. Somehow though, as I continued down the overly extensive corridors of the castle, I ended up losing sight of that sunshine.

At my wits end after running around the ever looping halls like a mad man, I stopped in front of the open air courtyard in defeat. I looked upwards to the empty spot in the sky where the moon should have been. I knew with certainty that the glow did not come from the moon, so then where did it originate? I began to question again if what I saw had just been a figment of my imagination. No, that golden color, it was not something the mind could simply conjure. I could describe it for hours and yet the initial emotions I felt in the brevity of that moment could not fully be expressed. At last I could see the light.

And just as I turned to follow the path back to my room, disappointment consuming me, I saw the golden color once again. It was not a golden color though, it was golden hair on the head of a petite girl, no more than twenty. I cannot fully describe the maelstrom of emotions I felt when I laid eyes upon her perfection. And like a moth to the light, I was already unconsciously being pulled to her side. I was the moth and her golden hair, a halo on an angel, was the light.

As I opened my mouth to greet her, she leaped on me and pushed me hard to the ground. Pinning me down, she immobilized my body even though I was two times her size. Her hand was tightly pushed up against my mouth, sealing it shut. She glared at me with her bright, and big green eyes. I had to stare back, they were too beautiful to look away from. Before I knew it, I was transfixed by the fierce gaze of this petite girl. I tried to pry her hand from my mouth, only ever wanting to converse with her, but her grip tightened with my struggle.

"Don't move." She hissed. She had every intention of sounding as menacing as possible. I heard nothing but music, and I clung onto every syllable of every word. Nodding my head to answer, still mesmerized by the female, I did as she commanded. Her wishes I would obey at all cost. I felt time stop, freezing the already still night into complete immobility. During that moment of stillness, our gazes tightly locked. Those indescribable green eyes of hers, I melted into their intensity. This girl, unwavering in the unofficial stare off she wagered against me, had me like putty in her hands.

As the silence continued, and she realized stopped my struggling, her grip loosened slightly. I gently touched her wrist, prompting her to retightened her grip, but I refused to remove my hand. Again, after she realized my intentions, she released her grip for good. Slowly she hoisted herself up and moved herself a few inched away. I also pushed myself off the cold marble ground and into a sitting position, her green eyes following every one of my movements. I raised my arms as a sign of peace, and for the moment being, she apprehensively seemed to play along with my games.

" I mean no harm." I whispered, not before being tackled by the female into silence once again. Her hand was once again pressed against my mouth, but this time her face only stood inches away from mine. I intently observed every detail on her face, how her eyebrows arched perfectly, her cute button nose, and the curve of her lips. A frown currently donned her face, what a pity it was too, a smile befitted her so much better. What I would have given to see this angel of mine smile even the slightest of smiles. She backed away when she realized I would abide by her rules. Giving me a quizzical glare, she spoke for the second time that night.

"Stay quiet you dumby!" she said, barely audible. And again I clung to every word. I knew her words were meant as insults but I did not care, simply the sound of her voice brought a smile to my face. The girl looked at me with even more confused eyes. She did not understand how I felt; I would have loved to simply hear her speak for hours on end. I wanted to hear it all, her story-who she was, how she got here, even what she had for dinner- the most mundane of things would sound like poetry coming from her lips.

"Stop smiling you idiot! You're creeping me out!" she whispered a bit louder this time. But I couldn't help but smile, like the idiot she called me, especially when an angel descended down from heaven right before me. Did she know how beautiful she was? Or the affect she had on men, or maybe just me?

"My name is Flynn. Flynn Rider, what's yours?"

The girl looked at me stupefied. I didn't quite blame her though. She basically assaulted me in the middle of the night and here I was, calmly asking for her name as if we met by coincidence on a walk. And it was coincidence that we met on that fatefully bleak and starless night.

" Did you hit your head?" she asked, clearly skeptical of my sanity. Insane, however, was the opposite of how I felt. There was nothing wrong with my mind, in fact, I saw the world in a clearer view that night because of her. No, I was far from insane.

I shook my head, " Nope, I'm perfectly fine." This surprised her even more, and her green eyes widen with confusion. I thought it was the most adorable thing in the world, but then again I thought everything about this mysterious girl was adorably perfect. " I won't bite. Promise. So will you tell me your name? It's only fair since I told you mine."

"I never asked." She snapped back. A feisty one, I did not quite expect that, but still I could not find a flaw in her. The harshness of her words sounded endearing to me, as odd as that may seem. I guess I did have a great fall, I fell hard for this girl at first sight, and still without knowing her name, I knew that something about her was special.

" Come on, please? You did push me to the ground for no reason. I think your name will be a fair tradeoff."

"No."

"Please?"

"No"

"Pretty please?"

"No." she hissed through her teeth, clearly peeved by my actions. She expected to instill fear in others but I only saw an adorable puppy kneeling besides me.

"I hope you know that I can do this forever, I have all the time in the world." I would make time if it meant being with her. Only five minutes had lapsed yet I knew she was the one- the girl for me.

"….." she stayed silent for a moment, and I could see from the small movements in her eyes that she was thinking hard about what to do next. Obviously I found this to be very endearing as well. " Fine," she said at last, " its Rapunzel."

Rapunzel, Rapunzel. I must have repeated that name over a hundred times in my mind.

" Rapunzel" I said out loud. Rapunzel, the way it flowed from my tongue was perfect, just like her

"You tell no one though!" she said, her face scrunched in a scowl.

My mouth instinctively curved into a smile." It's our secret. I'll pinky promise!" She rolled her eyes at me.

" Well that's nice to know Casanova. But seriously, don't tell anyone or I'll have to come back and kill you."

Although she just threatened to kill me, I brushed that topic off my shoulders and brimmed with happiness at the thought of her returning.

" You'll be coming back?! That's great, then we can have a conversation over tea."

" That's not what I mean." She said, clearly frustrated with me. "And I am not that free to be going around having tea parties."

"But you have to come back, or I will tell everyone your name."

"Is that a threat?"

"No." I said with a devious smile, " It's an incentive for you to visit again."

She just stared at as if I had two heads, "Has anyone ever told you that you're an odd one?"

" No, I think you would be the first, but there has to be a first for everything, like how we're meeting for the first time right now."

"Yeah, and you don't find it weird that I tackled you to the ground in the dead of night, threaten to kill you, and that I am dressed in all black?"

" Every first encounter is different, and I would like to think that ours is more peculiar than others, but otherwise I don't see anything wrong with how we met. The real issue at hand is how we will meet again, Rapunzel." Rapunzel, I could still not get over how comfortable that name felt being said, as if I was meant all this time to say it.

" You are indeed an odd one." She said. But this time with a tiny grin on her face. My mouth curved into a giant smile, I knew she would look beautiful, more beautiful then how she already is, with a smile on her face. In that moment, I decided I wanted to keep making her smile, I didn't exactly know how yet, but I did.

"Next week then, Rapuzel. Same place, same time."

She stood up, straightening her trousers; she looked at me one last time. " Maybe, Flynn." She replied, but with a smile.

" I will take that as a definite yes then, Rapunzel." I said with an equally wide smile. She did not answer. Before I knew it, she had disappeared off into the darkness. The smile on her face was enough of an answer for me though. I sat on that cool marble ground for a while, smugly smiling to myself at how I met an angel and how I was going to see her in a week. "

" And the rest, as you know, is history." Replied a familiar voice from the doorway. Flynn immediately smiled at the golden blonde lingering in the doorway.

"Just the person we were talking about."

She walked in and took a seat next alongside the fire. " How has your stay been, Elsa?" she asked the platinum blonde.

The queen of Arendall smiled at the future princess of Corona, " Better now that I was able to hear such a legendary story about the prince and princess."

She turned to look at the brunette, his soft gaze locking with hers. " I didn't know that you felt that way about me either, Flynn, or did you exaggerate?"

"Don't worry Rapunzel, I have been this head over heels in love with you the second we met." He proudly replied.

Rapunzel placed her hand on top of his, " Am I obligated to say the same?" she said jokingly.

The three broke out into boisterous laughter.

"What was your side of the story then, Rapunzel?" Elsa asked, " I do not think that you fell in love at first sight like Flynn."

Rapunzel watched as her husband stared at her intently, "Yes, Rapunzel, what _is_ your side of the story?" She looked from the eager eyes of Elsa to the equally eager eyes of Flynn.

"I assume that that I do not have a choice." They both smiled at her. " I definitely do not have a choice then."

" My side of the story, sadly, is not as touching as Flynn's. But I remember that moonless night clearly. It was the first time, after all, that I meet such a unique person like Flynn." She said with a smile.

"Hey! I take offense!" he answered jokingly.

"As a compliment of course." She reassured her husband. "If you had not been such a unique soul, then I might have really killed you that night. It was in the contract with my former employer. Being a vigilante did not give me much leeway in my decisions. "

"But you liked me enough in those brief minutes. Admit it, you fell in love at first sight too." He said smugly.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes, " Call it what you like. All I know was that you were different, in all the good ways. And after staring into your big, brown eyes, I would not bear to harm you. And you're too big of a goof ball to have been a threat anyway."

"It was love then." Added Elsa.

Rapunzel smiled at the Queen of Arandelle, "maybe it was."

Flynn tackled her into a hug, " I knew it!"

The blond began laughing, " Stop shaking me Flynn, I admit it, ok. I also fell in love with you at first sight, we're both saps together."

"The best kind of saps." He reassured.

Again the three broke into a boisterous laughter.

The winter wind stopped smashing against the window, fully content after hearing their tale. He would visit another time to hear another tale. For now he decided to leave the two lovebirds and their far off guest alone with the crackling warmth of the fire.

" And that" said Elsa, " is the tale of how Rapunzel and Flynn met, I think it's rather romantic."

"Rather romantic?!" said the red head, " It's so much more than rather, Elsa. It's very, very romantic!"

The Queen of Arendall let out a small chuckle, " Calm down, Anna. We will visit them next time together. And you can bring Kristoff too. It will be fun to compare your first meeting with theirs. You did meet Kristoff during the eternal winter I plunged Arendall in. That is also an interesting first encounter."

Anna bounced up and down, " Really?! Oh I'm so excited then! But I do not think that my love story can compare to his. Flynn was smitten with Rapunzel at first sight while I thought Krisoff….he was a nice guy."

The Queen laughed again, "Well every first encounter is different. I believe that Kristoff felt differently from you, but that is a story for another day, is it not?"

Anna also laughed, "Definitely. The day will be when everyone is together, and maybe you'll also have a special someone by then, Elsa." She said while winking at her sister.

Elsa rolled her eyes but still smiled. Perhaps her first encounter will be as memorable as Anna's and as Flynn's.

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**Well then, I hope this one-shot was everything you expected and more. All forms of criticism would greatly be appreciated. **


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